Gas turbine systems generally include a compressor rotor having a number of stages. Air flowing into the compressor is compressed at each stage. Each stage includes a number of rotor buckets or blades mounted to a rim of a rotor wheel or a disk in a spaced relationship. A typical compressor rotor may have dozens of rotor blades mounted thereon.
Generally described, each blade may have a dovetailed portion that interlocks with a dovetail region of the rim to secure the blade to the rotor. The blade dovetails may be secured to the rotor via a process called “staking” Specifically, the rotor blade is placed within the rim slot and then “staked” into place at both ends by deforming the metal material around the blade dovetail with a tool similar to a nail punch. This process is then repeated for each rotor blade for each rotor assembly stage. Staking provides an economical and mechanically secured means of securing a blade or other attachment to the rotor or other type of wheel slot.
In an inspection or an overhaul process, the rotor blades may be removed from the rotor wheel and the original “stakes” may be ground out. There are a finite number of attachments due to a limited number of viable staking locations about the rotor wheel. As such, the rotor wheel generally must be replaced once these staking locations have been consumed even if the rotor wheel is otherwise still in operation.
There is a desire, therefore, for improved methods and devices for securing a blade or other type of wheel attachment to a rotor or other type of wheel without destroying the rotor or wheel or limiting its part life. These improved methods and devices should provide for simple but secure attachment of the blade or other component to the wheel in a fast and efficient manner.